1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a shell accessory for a pick up truck. More specifically, a truck shell is disclosed that allows the entire side of the shell to be opened to allow greater truck bed access than has previously been available.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pick up trucks are a unique vehicle in the sense that they have an open bed in which all sorts of loads may be carried. The truck bed is defined as the cargo carrying area beginning immediately behind the truck cab, defined laterally by the side walls of the vehicle, and being bounded at the rear by a tailgate. The advantage a truck provides over other types of vehicles, in addition to sheer cargo volume, is the ability to easily access the cargo being carried in the truck bed. The bed is generally exposed, which allows access from all areas outside the truck by merely reaching over the side of the truck and into the truck bed. However, unrestricted access to the truck bed becomes a drawback when carrying environmentally sensitive or valuable cargo.
Consequently, truck owners may desire to cover, and oftentimes protect, the cargo carried in a truck bed. A popular way of covering a truck bed is installing an after-market truck shell. A truck shell is a rigid covering that encloses the truck bed from just behind the truck cab to the tailgate, thus creating an enclosed space. Oftentimes, the truck shell is made to conform to the shape and aesthetics of the truck to which it is attached.
One disadvantage of truck shells is that they limit access to the articles that are stored in the bed of the truck. Generally, access to the back of the truck is provided, in most truck shells, through a rear access door or opening which often comprises a transparent window that is hinged at its top such that it can be opened and thus provides access to the rear of the truck bed. The access is further enhanced when the truck's tailgate is lowered. The rear access door of traditional shells comprises the entire rear wall of the shell, thus allowing unrestricted access through the back of the truck when both the rear access door and tailgate are opened.
However, access to cargo items not located immediately in the back of the truck is still limited. In particular, when the articles that are needed to be accessed are positioned in the bed closer to the front end of the bed of the truck, the user must typically climb into the bed of the truck to retrieve the articles. This can, of course, be a significant inconvenience.
To address this problem, many shells are equipped with side openings that allow access to the bed of the truck via the side. These side openings are often in the form of hinged windows that are formed in the center of the side walls. Typically, the hinged windows are mounted in the center of the side walls so as to maintain the structural integrity of the side wall. However, windows that are formed in the side wall are typically smaller in size than the side wall such that access to all parts of the bed is at least partially obstructed by the side walls of the shell.
Moreover, side windows in shells can also be subject to water intrusion. Oftentimes, water can intrude into the interior of the vehicle through the seams between the hinged window and the surrounding shell structure. Of course, inhibiting water from entering the interior of the bed is one of the reasons pick up truck owners position shells on truck beds in the first place. To limit water intrusion, shell manufacturers often limit the size of the windows to limit the length of the seams and also generally position the hinges and seams on the side surface where water is less likely to intrude through the shell into the interior of the truck bed.
Hence, from the foregoing, there is an ongoing need for an improved shell design that allows for better access to the bed of a pick up truck while still inhibiting water intrusion into the bed of the pick up truck. To this end, there is provided an improved shell design that allows for greater side access to the bed of the truck while still limiting water intrusion wherein the side access is provided in a less obtrusive manner.